Leach Was A Joint Sponsor Of SB 8, “One Of The Nation’s Most Restrictive Abortion Bills” As It Banned Abortion As Early As Six Weeks Into The Pregnancy When A Heartbeat Was Detected, Well Before Many People Would Know They Were Pregnant. Leach was a joint sponsor of SB 8, which according to the Texas Tribune, “One of the nation’s most restrictive abortion bills — which bans abortions as early as six weeks into pregnancy — took effect at midnight after the U.S. Supreme Court did not take action on an emergency appeal by Texas abortion providers Tuesday. The law prohibits abortions whenever an ultrasound can detect what lawmakers defined as a fetal ‘heartbeat,’ though medical and legal experts say this term is misleading because embryos don’t possess a heart at that developmental stage. Providers and abortion rights advocacy groups say this would affect at least 85% of the abortions taking place in the state. Many people don’t know they are pregnant within the first six weeks. But the state wouldn’t enforce the law. SB 8 instead provides enforcement only by private citizens who would sue abortion providers and anyone involved in aiding or abetting an abortion after a ‘heartbeat’ is detected.” [SB 8, Sponsors, accessed 6/28/22; Texas Tribune, 8/31/21]
[VIDEO] Leach Said He Was “Grateful” The COVID-19 Pandemic Halted Abortions In Texas. [Jeff Leach, Texas Values, 4/15/20]
Leach: “It Is My Hope That Next Session We Can Take Our 20 Week Ban Down To Possibly An 8, 12 Week Ban.” In an interview on Smart Talk with Trey Graham, Leach said, “Well in Texas, I was so proud of Collin County’s own Candy Nobel, a strong republican women in the Texas house, in her first session she passed Senate Bill 22 that will ensure that cities, counties, political sub divisions of the state will not offer tax incentives for places like Planned Parenthood, or abortion clinics. That is happening in the state right now. Austin is basically giving prime property to Planned Parenthood property tax free. That bill we passed will prevent that from happening. It is so encouraging to see what other states are doing like Missouri, Alabama, and Ohio are doing. Texas, of course, has been on the front lines in this fight for life for many years. We will continue to be. All of the states are passing different pieces of legislation. It is my hope that next session we can take our 20 week ban down to possibly an 8, 12 week ban. The Supreme Court sooner or later will have to decide on the issue of life and take up Roe v. Wade.” [Jeff Leach on Smart Talk with Trey Graham, 6/9/19]
March 2013: Leach Co-Sponsored HB 2364, A Bill That Would Prevent Abortions After 20 Weeks. According to The Texas Tribune, “Many anti-abortion activists argue that 20 weeks is the point at which fetuses can feel pain. House Bill 2364, by state Reps. Jodie Laubenberg, R-Parker, and Jeff Leach, R-Plano, would prohibit abortions after that time and shorten by seven weeks the timeframe in which a woman could legally obtain an abortion in Texas. Current law already prohibits abortions during the third trimester unless the health or life of the mother is at stake or there are fetal abnormalities.” [Texas Tribune, 3/5/13]
Leach On Twitter: “You Can Paint It On A Sign And Chant It All You Want, But Abortion Is NOT Healthcare.” [@leachfortexas, Twitter, 7/27/17]
Leach: “We Must Continue To Be On The Front Lines In The Fight For The Pre-Born Texans Who Can’t Fight For Themselves.” According to Leach’s campaign website, “Government must work aggressively to protect innocent human life– from the womb to the tomb. We must continue to be on the front lines in the fight for the pre-born Texans who can’t fight for themselves, while working to support and care for the women and families who find themselves facing the sometimes harsh reality of an unplanned pregnancy, including continuing to invest in vital women’s health services. We must also provide better options for expectant mothers other than terminating an innocent life, including making adoption easier and more affordable, advocating for vulnerable children who find themselves trapped in state custody under the supervision of CPS, and fighting on behalf of victims of human trafficking, sexual assault and sexual abuse.” [Issues; Jeffleach.com, accessed 4/16/20]
April 2019: Leach Sponsored HB 16, A Bill That Would Charge Doctors Who “Fail To Provide The Appropriate Medical Treatment” To Fetuses “Born Alive” During Abortions With A Third-Degree Felony And A Fine Of At Least $100,000. According to The Texas Tribune, “The Texas House tentatively approved a bill Tuesday that would require doctors to treat babies born alive after failed abortion attempts. The measure — which addresses a rare circumstance — would need a final approval from the House before it could go to the Senate, which has already approved a similar bill. (Update: The House gave the measure final approval April 17.) Under House Bill 16, authored by state Rep. Jeff Leach, a Plano Republican, doctors who ‘fail to provide the appropriate medical treatment’ would be charged with a third-degree felony and have to pay a fine of at least $100,000. The measure gives teeth to already existing statutes — including Texas Family Code and federal law — that grant legal protections to children born after abortion attempts.” [Texas Tribune, 4/16/19]
April 2019: Leach Said HB 16 Would Show The Rest Of The Country That Texas Stands For Life. According to The Texas Tribune, “‘At the heart of the bill, the 'Texas Born-Alive Protection Act' — it is designed to strengthen the protections to those babies who survive abortions,’ Leach said, surrounded by a huddle of the bill's dozens of co-authors. ‘Join me in supporting House Bill 16, showing the rest of the country — states like Virginia, New York and Washington, D.C. — that we’re going to continue to stand for life in this state.’” [Texas Tribune, 4/16/19]
April 2019: Opponents To HB 16 Said That The Bill Was Unnecessary And That Texas Reported Zero Live Births Resulting From Abortions Between 2013 And 2016. According to The Texas Tribune, “However, opponents say it would deter doctors from performing abortions. Critics also say the measure is a solution in search of a problem — that it's unnecessary because protections already exist and the situation is rare. Texas reported zero live births resulting from an abortion between 2013 and 2016, all the years that DSHS has collected the data.” [Texas Tribune, 4/16/19]
Leach: “Roe V. Wade Should Be Overturned.” In an interview on Smart Talk with Trey Graham, Leach said, “This is why it is so important for us to re-elect our president. I believe he has done a remarkable job on so many policies. We can talk about tax policy, moving the embassy to Jerusalem, the border, we can talk about how he has been right on the policies. On top of that list is his commitment to the pro-life cause to appointing pro-life justices who won’t legislate from the bench but take up these state laws and apply the constitution faithfully. Whatever state law it may be, 1 or many, that reach the Supreme Court with our new 5-4 majority and hopefully with another justice appointed under Trump, we will have the right people on that bench and they won’t legislate from the bench but will faithfully upload constitution and in doing so, Roe v. Wade should be overturned.” [Jeff Leach on Smart Talk with Trey Graham, 6/9/19]
2015: Leach Sponsored Legislation That Would Prohibit Sexual Health And Education Instructional Materials From Health Care Providers Like Planned Parenthood. According to the San Antonio Current, “On the flip side, not surprisingly, State Rep. Jeff Leach, a Republican from Plano, wants to prohibit sexual health and education instructional materials created by ‘an entity or individual that performs abortions or an affiliate of an entity or individual that performs abortions.’ Read: Planned Parenthood. Leach has filed something similar in the past, and if that affiliate language sounds familiar to you, it's essentially same rule enacted in 2011 that wrote Planned Parenthood out of the now-dissolved Medicaid Women's Health Program, which the state lost out on because it banned a provider.” [San Antonio Current, 1/12/15]
May 2013: Leach Sponsored Legislation That Would Prohibit Sexual Health And Education Instructional Materials From Entities That Performed Abortions. According to the Dallas Observer, “A pair of bills in the State Legislature are pushing for an even more restrictive set of rules on what school districts can teach in sex ed. The legislation, by Representative Jeff Leach and Senator Ken Paxton, would prohibit ‘abortion providers and their affiliates from teaching sex education and/or providing family planning instruction in Texas schools.’ Parents would also be required to opt their kids in to sex ed, by signing a permission slip at least 14 days before any instruction.” [Dallas Observer, 5/9/13]